Amusement device for inducing sensations of aviation



Oct. 2, 1928. 1,686,315

R. M. EDWARDS AMUSEMENT DEVICE FOR INDUCING SENSATIONS OF AVIATION FiledNov. l0, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 s l JM g Sitemap oct. 2, 192s.

R. M. EDWARDSv AMUSEMENT DEVICE FOR INDUCING SENSATIONS OF AVIATIONFiled Nov.10, 1927 25 Sheets-Sheet Oct. 2, 1928. 1,686,315

R. M. EDWARDS AMUSEMENT DEVICE FOR INDUCING SENSATIONS 0F AVIATION FiledNov. 1o', 1927 s sheets-Sheet 5 a /ll Wzl/ard;

. M I@ g dlhuunp Patented Oct. 2, 1928.

f umrsosrarss 11,686,315' earner ortica.

RICHARDM. EDWARDs, on CANTON, onto, assienon or ONE-HALF To FRANK 4THOMAS, or innniimronis, INDIANA.

AMUSEMENT DIElV'ICF. FOR INDUCING SENSATIONS OF AVIATION. i. y

Application filed November 10, 1927.

The invention relates to amusement devices for use'in amusementparks,Carnivals, and the like, for inducing in persons subject to the actionsof the devices, the Vvarious sensations of aviation, without actuallyflying, and without being subject to the dangers incident thereto. -A

The object of the present improvements include the piovisionof means forinducing in or nl) the persons, hereinafter termed the passen@ gers,subject to the action of the device, the sensations of gaining altitudein an airplane or airship cabin as by spiral climbing; of banlting; yofthe actions of the inherentforces in an airplane for maintaining lateraland longitudinal stability, of a tail spin; ofa nose dive; and of comingout of thesame and descending normally to the ground. v

These and ancillary objects are attained vby a construction andarrangement hereinafter,

set forth in detail, and which may be stated in general terinsasincluding in a room having panoramic Walls and ceiling, a longitudinallyextending cradle having longitudinally and laterally spaced andlaterally extending seats for passengers, means mounting the crade forlateral oscillation about an axis parallel with its longitudinal axis, acabin housing including opaque walls and lens windowsr in the wallsadapted to increase the apparent distance of the cabin housing from thepanoramic walls and ceiling, the cabin housing being adapted forindependent rotation about the cradle, means for oscillating the cradleabout its lateral axis simultanea A forming part hereof, in which Figure1 is a front end elevation of the im` proved amusement device forinducing sensations of aviation, portions of the enclosurev thereforbeing broken `away Fig. 2, a longitudinal axial sectional view i thereofas on line 2 2, Fig. 1; f

Fig. 3, a plan viewthereof, illustrating the turn-table for rotating thecradle about its vertical axis, Vand operating ,mechanism for y I thedevice; the cradle adapted for oscillation about its longitudinal axis,and the rocker Serial No. 232,319,

adapted for oscillating-the cradle about its lateral axis, beingremoved;and F ig. 4, a detached 'front end elevation view of the cradle.v

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.The improved amusement device indicated generally fat- 10 includes acradle 11 preferably comprising laterally spaced longitudinallyextending beams 12 connected at their forward ends by angled suspendingbai-S13 with a forward supporting shaft 14: anda-t their .rear ends byangled suspending bars 13 with a rear supporting shaft'll.

A suitablefloor 15 is laid across the beams v12 and rows oflongitudinally andlateral'ly extending seats 16 are mounted on thecradlef licor for seating passengers'on the device.

The supporting shafts `14' and 14 arejjouri nallcd, respectively, inbearing blocks 17 'and' 17 mounted, respectively, on suitable bearingbloclr frames 18 yand `18at thefront and rear 1 of a 'rocker f-rame19. pLaterally spaced longitudinally extending s tie'roclter frame 19 and areeach `carried by a plurality of rollers 21 suitably supported,

eginental rocker tires v2O are provided 'for' is preferably arranged forrotation about'the cradle 11 by means of angled radially extcndf ing`bars 27 and 2,7 connected at their outer ends, respectively, with thefront and rear ends of the housingA 26 and at-.tlieir inner ends,respectively, with bearings 28 and 28 rotatable, respectively, on theshafts ltand 4111. -f

The walls of the cabin housing are preferably opaqueand a plurality oflongitudinally l spaced lens windows 29 are provided therein,

the windows being adapted to increase the apparent distance from apassenger seated on the cradle 11 within'the cabin housing from ioo thewalls 30 of the enclosure for thedevice," d

whichwalls are'preferalbly decorated `with panoramic views, not shown.

`Suitable doors 31 are provided for permit ting entrance int-o and exitfrom the cabinhousing, the doors'being reached by'- removable ladders orthe like, not shown.

The front and rear openings of the housing are preferably Aprovided withscreen coverings 32 and 32 forprotective purposes.

A crank 33 extends laterally from the forward supporting shaft 14, andthe outer end of the crank is connected by a `connecting rod 34 with aneccentric 35 on the power takeoff shaft of a reducing gearing 36 drivenby a motor 37 for laterally oscillating the cradle 11 about itslongitudinal axis. y

A gear 38 is secured to the housing bearing 28 and is meshed with apinion 39 on the shaftof a motor 40 for rotating the tubular housing 26yabout the cradle independent of the lateral oscillations thereof.

A cable4 41 has its ends secured upon the -rocker' frame 19, and iswound intermediate its ends about a sheave 42 journalled in suitablebearing brackets mounted on thetu-rntable 22, and the shaft of thesheave is con nected with the shaftof reversing pulleys 43 connected bysuitable'shifting belts 44 and 45 with a drive pulley 46 on the shaft ofa motor 47 mounted on the turn-table 22.

A belt shifter 48 arrang'ed` to shift'the belts 44 and 45 for rotatingthe sheave 42 in alternate directions, includes upwardly directed prongs49 arranged to be engaged successively by depending Vangled cam plates50 and 50 secured on the rocker frame; so that when the sheave is turnedbythe motor in one direction to roll the rocker frame 19 in one theprongs 49 shifts the belts 45 and 46 to reversethe rotationof the sheave42 and thus .reverse the direction ofV the rolling of the rocker frame,the plate 50 similarly opcrating to reverse the new direction ofrolling, thereby oscillating the cradle 11 about its lateral axisindependent of the oscillations thereof about its longitudinal axis.

. A circular rack 51 mounted on the foundati0n'25 is meshed with gears52 at the ends of radially extending shafts 53 journalled on theturn-table 22.

The inner ends of the shaft 53 have secured thereon bevel gears 54 eachmeshed with a bevel drivegear 55 mounted on a shaft 56 driven preferablythrough va reduction gearing 57 by an extension 58 of the drive shaft 1of a motor 59 mounted on the turn-table.

A motor 61 is mounted on the forward frame 18, preferably with the shaftof the motor coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the cradle 11, themotor shaft having mounted thereon an airplane propeller 62. l

. The several motors 37, 40, 47, 59, and 61 are y all electricallyconnected in a usual manner,

housing 26 may be rotatedv about the cradle, the cradle may beoscillatedabout its lateral axis by rolling the rocker frame 19 back and forth onthe rollers 21, and the turn-table 22 may be rotatedto ,rotate thecradle 11 ,about its vertical axis, and all these movements of thecradle 11 may be carried out s'eparately'or any number of them combinedwith each other, and the propeller 62 maybe rotated during thesemotionsyof, the cradle to cause a blast of air to flow through the cabinhousing 26.

Accordingly the passengers` `within the cabin housing may be subject toany of the sensations of actual flying.

Thus during the rotationof the turnftable and elevating of the forwardend of the rocker frame, the sensation of spiral climbing is induced. y

Lateral oscillation of the cradle induces the sensation of banking or ofthe falling leaf.

Vith the turn-table still rotating, but the forward end of the rockerframe lowered, land the tubular housing 26 rotating about the cradle,the sensation of the tail spin is induced, ywhich may be furtherincreased by-lat-y about its longitudinal, lateral, and vertical axes,may be utilized to produce the sensations of other well known airplanemaneuvers, the lens windows 29 serving to give the sensation'of heightduring such maneuvers.

I claim: n

1. A` device for inducing aviation `sensations and the like, including acradle, means mounting the cradle for lateral oscillations about alongitudinal axis, means for. oscillating the cradle about a lateralaxis simultaneously with its oscillation about its longi* tudinal axis,and means for rotating` the cradle about a vertical axis simultaneusly`with the lateral and longitudinal oscillations.r

2. A device for inducing aviation sensations and the like, including acradle, a rocker frame, and a turn-table, the turn-table lbeingrotatable about a vertical axis, the rocker frame being supported on'the turn-table for oscillation about a lateral axis, and the cradlebeing supported on the rocker frame for oscillation about a longitudinalaxis.

tions and the like, including a cradle, means mounting the cradle forlateral oscillation about a longitudinal axis, means for oscillating thecradle about a lateral axis simultaneously with its oscillation aboutits longitudinal axis, means for rotating kthe cradle about a verticalaxis simultaneously with the lateral and longitudinal oscillations, anda cabin housing rotatable about thecradle.

4. A device for inducing aviation sensations and the like, including acradle, a rocker e. A device for inducingv aviation sensaframe, and aturn-table, the turn-table being rotatable aboutl a vertical axis, therocker frame being supported on the turn-table for oscillation about alateral axis, the cradle being supported on the rocker frame foroscillation about a longitudinal axis, and a cabin housing rotatableabout the cradle.

5. A device for inducing aviation sensations and the like, including acradle, means mounting the cradle for lateral oscillation about alongitudinal axis, means for oscillating the cradle about a lateral axissimultaneously with its oscillation about its longitudinal axis, meansfor rotating the cradle about a vertical axis simultaneously with thelateral and longitudinal oscillations, and a cabin housing rotatableabout thecradle, the cabin housing including opaque Walls and therebeing lens Windows in the Walls.

6. A device i'or inducing aviation sensations andthe like, including acradle, a roc-ker frame, and a turn-table, the turn-table beingrotatable about a vertical axis, the rocker frame being supported on theturn-table for oscillation about a lateral axis, the cradle beingsupported on the rocker frame for oscillation about a longitudinal axis,and a cabin housing rotatable about the cradle, the cabin housingincluding opaque Walls and there being lens Windows in the Walls.

7. A device for inducing aviation sensations and the like, including acradle, means mounting the cradle for lateral oscillation about alongitudinal axis, means for oscillating the cradle about a lateral axissimultanef. ously With its oscillation about its longitudinal axis,means for rotating the cradle about a vertical axis simultaneously Withthe lateral and longitudinal oscillations, and a stationary panoramicenclosure for the cradle.

8. A device for inducing aviation sensations and the like, including acradle, a rocker frame, and a turn-table, the turn-table being rotatableabout a. vertical axis, the rocker frame being supported on theturn-table for oscillation about a lateral axis,the cradle beingsupported on the rocker frame for oscillation about a longitudinal axis,and a stationary panoramic enclosure for the cradle.

nal axis, means for rotating the cradle abouta vertical axissimultaneously With the lateral and longitudinal oscillations, a cabinhousing lrotatable about the cradle, and a stationary panoramicenclosure for the cradle.

10. A device for inducing aviation sensations and the like, including acradle, a rocker frame, and a turn-table, the turn-table being rotatableabout a vertical axis, the rocker frame being supported on theturn-table for oscillation about a lateral axis, the cradle beingsupported on the rocker frame for oscillation'about a longitudinal axis,a cabin housing rotatable about the cradle, and a stationary panoramicenclosure for the cradle.

11. A device for inducing aviation` sensations and the like, including acradle, means mounting the cradle for lateral oscillation abouta'longitudinal axis, means for oscillating the cradle about a lateralaxis simultaneously with its oscillation about its longitudinal axis',means for rotating the cradle about a vertical axis simultaneously Withthe lateral and longitudinal oscillations, a cabin housing y rotatableabout the cradle, the cabin housing including opaque Walls and therebeing lens Windows in the Walls, and a stationary panoy ing includingopaque Walls and there beingy lens windows in the Walls, and astationaryv panoramic enclosure for the cradle.

In testimony that I claim the above, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

RICHARD M. EDWARDS.

